Questors of the Mace
= The Questors for the Mace = Devices and Uniforms: There is no specific uniform or device for Questors. They all tend to be warriors and carry a weapon of some sort - they often carry a mace, for obvious reasons. Deity: Any of the Dwarven pantheon may be worshipped by a Questor. Morg, the Dwarven god of Ale and War, tends to be a predominately-served deity among them. Some also follow Gorak, the Dwarven god of History and Honor. Dominion: The title of Questor for the Mace is a self-appointed one. Questors do not hold any particular sway over any aspect of culture. They are afforded a certain respect among Dwarves because of their commitment. Goal: The goal of every Questor is to find the Mace of Kings, the mystical Dwarven artifact which represents their history and the lineage of their true kings. The Mace was stolen centuries ago by Orcs, instigating the Wars of Annihilation. When the smoke cleared four hundred years later, the Mace was not to be found. Without this artifact, the Dwarves cannot trace the lineage of their rightful king, and since that time have been ruled by a Warder King in his stead (for a more detailed history of the Mace, consult the Lands Book entry on Thoryn). Territory: All Questors are originally of Thoryn. They are solitary searchers, and may be found in any part of Xaria where rumor of the Mace may be heard. Genesis: Since the theft of the Mace of Kings, the heart of every true Dwarf has longed for its return. With no clue as to its whereabouts, the Dwarves settled into a long era of sullen rule by the Warder King. Eventually, a few slight rumors of the Mace’s reappearance in an eastern land - in the hands of some as yet unheard-of underground race - reached the ears of the government of Thoryn. The Warder King Calcite Stoneforge dispatched a company of a dozen Dwarves to go and retrieve the Mace from the peninsula of Shorn in 698 PA. When the company returned two years later with information that the Mace was not to be found, a profound languor gripped the land, and Stoneforge declared a month of mourning. When a second rumor of the Mace surfaced - this time said to be in the hands of warlord Tarm, aiding him in his conquest - Warder King Quartz Rockspanner sent a contingent of four Dwarven warriors to treat with the Tarm, threatening him with war if he would not give up the Mace. Again, the Dwarven contingent returned empty-handed, saying that there was no evidence that the warlord had ever even seen the Mace. With this news, Rockspanner declared that there would be no more official delegations sent to investigate rumors of the Mace—such expeditions were making the Dwarves kingdom look like silly fools, chasing their tails. He called upon all good Dwarves to seek the Mace if they heard of its whereabouts; if such a quest were successful, then the full weight of the armies of Thoryn would be behind the finder. A young Dwarf (at 158 years old) named Igneous Wheelgrinder, a lad whose head was full of the tales of the ancient glory of the Dwarven kings, went before Rockspanner and declared his intentions to find the Mace before he died. The Warder King gave him his blessing, and Igneous took for himself the title of Questor for the Mace. He traveled to many lands, pursuing the smallest rumors and slightest sign of the Mace; he died before he ever found it. Since then, some Dwarves have followed Igneous Wheelgrinder’s lead, and at various points declared themselves Questors. Such Dwarves are allowed to leave their Holds and pursue their quests, without the usual stigma attached to those who spend their lives wandering instead of doing something more industrious. Still, it is only taken up by a few, and usually only for a few decades. Present: There are perhaps a dozen Questors active in Xaria at any one time. Recent rumors include: that the Mace was used as barter by Chalter Medrium to gain Doro Y’Edhel’s help in their most recent uprising; that the Mace was being used by the Drow to aid in the war with Dakkor; that somehow the Mace has ended up on one of the Thieves’ Isles; that it is being used by either Rynith or Halgudar in their continuing war (the stories of Cymfal’s Sword may actually be about the Mace); that a wizard in the company of Veldron Knights, beastmen, and elves is searching for it, using archaic magiks; and perhaps a dozen other rumors, all more or less implausible. Still, the Questors search out the truth behind the tales, hoping beyond hope that they will be the one to find the Mace. In the meantime, Thoryn is getting the best scouting reports it has gotten in millennia… Alliances: All Questors are quasi-representatives of Thoryn. Mistreatment of them may result in some repercussions with the Dwarven government. Few recognize the Questors as any kind of organization (indeed, few even know they exist). Enemies: The Questors see enemies everywhere, all plotting to keep the Mace from its rightful owners. Presumably, whoever does possess the Mace (if it’s not simply lost somewhere) would consider the Questors to be enemies. Certainly, some groups and governments - confronted by irate Dwarves demanding a possibly mythical artifact that they’ve never even heard of - have little liking for the Questors. If the possessor of the Mace is ever found, and he does not return it post haste, he will find he has the entire Dwarven nation as an enemy. Leadership: There is no particular leader of the Questors. They consider their first loyalty to the Dwarven nation (above even their own Clan), and so think of the true king as their true leader. They will deal with the Warder King until the true king shows up. Divisions: Each Questor is independent; none hold rank over any of the others. Among themselves, Questors rate one another by how many rumors they have followed, and how close they may have come to finding the truth. Code and Prohibitions: The way each Dwarf acts in his capacity as a Questor is entirely up to him. The Thoryn government encourages them to remember that they may be all the world sees of Dwarves, and act accordingly. Therefore, most Questors tend to embody the traits of Dwarvenkind even more thoroughly than their brethren at home. Some, however, become corrupted by the values of humans, elves, or others (corrupted in the sense that they may begin to think these values have some validity). Each Questor’s only code is to find the Mace and retrieve it by any means possible. Recruitment: The title of Questor is a self-appointed one - any Dwarf who can gain the permission of his Duke (the leader of the Dwarf Hold) and his family can call himself a Questor. Those who have a “head full of ideas” (not necessarily a good thing in Thoryn) and slightly more wanderlust than the average Dwarf are those who usually take up the cause. On occasion, a Dwarf which would otherwise be considered odd or abnormal for some reason (for instance, the inability to grow a proper beard, or being in any way tall) is encouraged to become a Questor so that he can avoid the ridicule of his fellows. Typical Member: The typical Questor is a Dwarf. They are mostly male, but there have been some female Questors (Dwarves claim that women are far too sensible to be given over to such fancy). Almost all Questors are warriors, since they are nearly certain they will have to fight to get the Mace once they’ve found it. Generally Known: Very little is generally known of the Questors - most other races do not realize that they exist. Since there is nothing that truly ties Questors to one another (other than being Dwarves and seeking the Mace), it is very difficult to form a general opinion about them as a group. Quote: “I don’t much care for your tone, biggun. I’ll ask you one more time: have you seen it? And if you lip off again, you may find yourself cut down to proper size, hear?” Out of Game: Characters must be Dwarves. Other than this, there is no specific requirements for playing a Questor. Be sure to be well read on the history of the Mace and Thoryn, as this history is of tantamount importance to any Questor. Contact: Michael Slusser Red File: There is currently no Red File on the Questors for the Mace.